Indie Rock Band VanLadyLove Takes Home “Artist on the Verge” Honor

NEW YORK, June 11, 2014 – New Music Seminar (NMS) wrapped its 2014 edition yesterday, once again asserting itself as one of the premier conferences for the evolving music business and festival for emerging acts. Held over three days at the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel, NMS brought together more than 1,400 delegates, including label heads, A&R representatives, songwriters, artists, and technology executives to discuss the future of the music business.

NMS boasted a stellar roster of speakers that included music legends and notable industry titans, including Nile Rodgers, Al Bell, Kenny Gamble, Desmond Child, Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, Scott Greenstein, Dan Mason,Billy Mann, Jason Flom, Julie Greenwald and more, who led panels that touched on all aspects of the music business, including production advice, legal issues, the impact of new technologies, and overall, how to reach music consumers in ways that benefit all parties.

The conference also amplified its global representation this year, with delegates from over 45 countries. The festival featured several international acts that performed throughout the three days, even featuring a dedicated Sweden showcase.

Key conference highlights:

Without music, FM radio wouldn’t exist: SoundExchange President & CEO Michael Huppe’s controversial keynote noting that, contrary to popular belief, radio actually follows the tastes of listeners, rather than sets them. He cited Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky” as a song that emerged on social media and digital services, and only after gaining popularity through those mediums did radio take notice. Huppe concluded his speech on a bold note: “Radio needs you more than you need them.”

Music subscription services pave the way to better music industry economics: Will Page, chief economist for Spotify, pointed to trends in music, while top executives from Google Play Music, Rhapsody/Napster, Wimp, Sirius/XM, and Deezer explained the power of bundling with automobiles and mobile service providers to grow the number of music subscribers to 100 million, and eventually to billions.

People expect new: Iconic performer and producer Nile Rodgers led the Producers Movement alongside Atlantic Records CEO Craig Kallman, discussing the evolving role of the producer and the need for artists to reinvent themselves in order to keep the attention of music consumers. The players also addressed the lack of female engineers and producers, and why the industry should support growth in this area.

Hi-res audio is imminent: Audiophiles including Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, executives from Gibson, Warner Music Group and more, highlighted the renaissance of music quality made possible by increasing bandwidth and inexpensive storage, and why today’s recording process has to change.

Radio still breaks most music: Keynotes by CBS CEO Dan Mason and SiriusXM President Scott Greenstein, and a panel of the heads of programming at America’s biggest radio groups explained why, after 20 years of music on the web, most music breaks on radio.

A&R will find you: Young A&R executives helped close out the conference by offering insight into what they look for when signing new artists. Among the many considerations, the players emphasized the importance of having an existing fan base, being able to perform well, and agreed that a good song can move anywhere – across genres, platforms and audience bases.

VanLadyLovewins Artist on the Verge Class of 2014 project: On Sunday through Tuesday nights, NMS hosted New Music Nights kicking off Sunday with the Red Carpet Party at Webster Hall, then continuing throughout venues in the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan. The top three acts that performed, VanLadyLove, Kiah Victoria, and June Divided, competed in a dedicated showcase on Monday to win the coveted Artist on the Verge Reflection Award, as voted on by those in attendance. VanLadyLove took back to Utah the AOV grand prize, winning more than $100,000 in consultations, promotion, marketing, music equipment and more.

Music is the cheapest way to happiness: NMS Founder/Executive Director and Tommy Boy Founder/CEO Tom Silverman gave closing remarks on Tuesday evening, stressing, “the world needs music more than it needs anything.” He noted that music is the most effective and inexpensive route to happiness and that the value of music must increase to match its impact on the overall well being of society.

“This was a breakthrough NMS. We achieved the perfect balance of the leaders in the future of the creation, exposure and monetization of music,” said Silverman. “Delegate interaction reached a new high and many concepts were discussed that had never been considered before in a pubic forum. I am pleased to see the industry coming together to move toward a common goal of greater value for music.”

Stay updated with the latest in music industry trends and NMS announcements – subscribe below!

About NMS:

The New Music Seminar is the world’s most influential Music Business convention, led by the voices that disrupt the conventional, tackling key issues and providing a stage for trailblazing artists to shine. NMS is the place to network, engage, and discuss the future of the art and business of music.

From 1980-1994, NMS established itself as the Music Business Conference of its time. In 2009, NMS was revived to assemble today’s visionaries and industry leaders – paving a way to move past the dying record business. After 12 years of cleansing decline, we have a new attitude; a new optimism, a clear path to a bigger, more engaged, more inclusive, more sustainable music ecosystem.

The New Music Seminar is perfect for anyone looking to further their career in any and all facets of the music business. Recording Companies, Music Publishers, Music Technologies, Managers, Agents, Artists, Songwriters, Producers, and artist & label services from around the world come together each June in New York City to cross-pollinate, share ideas, and create new opportunities.